Not What We Planned
by meghan398
Summary: I know this show is canceled now but I hope this story keeps the great characters alive a little longer. Lots of plot twists, please give it a chance. Gabriel and Riley will find a happy ending, one way or another.
1. Chapter 1: Incident

The first thing Gabriel felt when he woke up was the pounding inside his head. He felt like tribal drums and machine guns alike were assaulting his cranium.

The ex-Delta Force solider groaned and moved to sit up. His killer headache protested at the movement and Gabriel saw spots when he opened his eyes.

When his eyes were met with the sight of his own bedroom, he naturally thought something must be wrong with the chip. In the safety of his own apartment, it seemed unlikely any outside force would have assaulted him to create_this. _Last time his chip had been hacked, he had felt almost exactly like this, after Riley had woken him up.

"Mh…mm…mmm"

The sounds of a sleeping person rolling over behind him nearly scared Gabriel out of his skin.

He turned his head toward the noise too sharply, causing a splitting wave of pins and needles through his neck. He was momentarily distracted from the person on his bed by the pain. He leaned his head into his hands, waiting for it to pass.

But the agony in his head only intensified and for a second Gabriel feared it wasn't going to pass.

Suddenly he was thrown into a cyber-render.

He was standing behind his couch, in his apartment. It must have been nearly midnight; he could see it was pitch black outside the windows in his kitchen. There were no lights on inside except for the TV, a muted Late Late show on CBS that was casting a flickering glow over the familiar living room.

He was made aware of someone on his couch when a high pitched shrieking giggle reached his sensitive ears. He winced, expecting his headache to react but felt nothing. Maybe headaches did not apply to cyber renders.

He walked around to the front of the couch and what he saw made his mouth fall open. But it sure as hell explained the headache.

There he was as himself, Gabriel Vaughn, with the biggest, most idiotic smile on his face. And not much else. Yup. He was buck naked and so was….. Riley Neal. His partner, also naked and… lying on top of him. They were slap happy drunk, beer and a tequila bottle littering the floor. Cuddling and laughing, they looked like fools in love.

God, his partner really was a beautiful woman but his face grew red and he adverted his eyes. He respected Riley too much to stare at her rendered body.

Was this even real? It was a render, but had it actually happened?

Gabriel tried to awaken himself, shaking his head and trying to focus on reality. The scene in front of him faded slowly, becoming more and more blurry.

Once his head was back in his bedroom on real time, his headache returned, making him cringe. The sunlight coming through the blinds stunned his eyes for a second.

But as he came to, Gabriel realized his recent render wasn't quite just imagination. Riley Neal was in his bed. Twisted in his sheets and sleeping like a baby, she looked peaceful and cute. His heart melted and he had the urge to kiss her forehead.

His own thoughts caught him off guard and a blush rose to his cheeks. He was glad Riley was not awake to see it. Oh God. What would happen when she woke up? She seemed was still naked although the sheet currently protected her modestly. Only one, long, gorgeous leg stuck out. Gabriel nervously cleared his throat and then mentally scolded himself for the noise. He still didn't know what he would say when she woke up.

He suddenly realized he was also unclothed. He headed to the bathroom and grabbed a t-shirt and one of his many jeans on the way. In the shower he took extra-long, nervous about what they would have to say to each other. As he shampooed his short brown hair Gabriel thought about his feelings for Riley.

He had to admit they had always had sexual tension between them. At work and out of work there was flirting galore. But that was just part of their friendship and partnership. They were professionals and worked well together.

Had they actually done it, gone all the way? He concluded they must have, if their underwear was off. Gabriel groaned.

Riley was the woman he cared for the most in the world and he had her back. And she knew that. And she had his back. He cared for her and knew her better than anyone else. In return she made him feel human when everyone else treated him like a robot. He had long stopped worrying that Riley was just doing her job. He could tell she cared for him too. But like this?

Of course, he had thought about her like this a little before, but had always repressed the feelings.

One time when Jin Cong had hacked his chip, Gabriel forgot who Riley was. It was one of the worst days of his life because he had almost hurt his best friend. But he had seen something in the way they knew each other and asked her if they were intimate. Clearly there was something between them, a kind of electricity that had to be more than friendship.

He thought about having a relationship with her, waking up every day to see that lovely face. The super human agent shook his head and tried to snap out of it and focus on the present.

The shower was helping take the edge off his headache and some memories were coming back to him from last night. Yesterday had been uneventful at work. It had also been Amelia's birthday. Riley had taken him home and he had lured her into playing a drinking game because he didn't want to be lonely on his deceased wife's birthday. His partner knew what day it was and humored him. It started out innocent but now Gabriel could recall the taste of her sweet skin and the feel of her lips.

He shivered.

Finally too pruned to stay any longer he left the safety of the shower, dressed himself, and tentatively reentered the bedroom.

She was gone. The sheets were still in disarray but Riley was not in them. Had he imagined it? No, his memories reminded him. It felt very real. The clock read 8:30 a.m. They were both so late for work. But where was she?

He stepped into the kitchen just in time to see her dark brown hair disappear into the hallway and his door slam. Had she run away? Was it that awful?

He leapt around the kitchen counter and yanked open his apartment door but the stair well was empty. The only sign of his escaping partner was pounding footsteps echoing. She must have run, he thought glumly. He respected her boundaries and didn't chase her farther. They would talk later.

He waited in vain for her to pick him up for work, while icing his head. He went to check on his phone hoping to see a message from Riley. Instead he had a text from Nelson saying they had no cases and could come in at 4:00 pm ish to do paperwork. Gabriel sighed and looked at the clock. 9:07 a.m.. He had time to kill before he would have a chance to talk to Riley and his head was still in agony. He decided the only thing to make him feel better was his favorite hangover cure. A cold bacon sandwich with chicken noodle soup.

Only one place served the meal like he liked it. Ernie's down the street. Gabriel wanted to go out to the restaurant immediately, but he usually wasn't allowed anywhere without his protection…which was Riley. Who clearly didn't want to talk to him right now. Besides he was a grown up and could take care of himself.

He hesitated only momentarily. What trouble could he possibly run into at Ernie's?


	2. Chapter 2: Escapade

Gabriel sat at a corner booth in Ernie's Diner, at 11:23 a.m., watching people pass by the window. His meal was finished and he had been in deep thought for awhile.

Was it just his imagination or were there families everywhere he looked. That young couple cuddling on the bench made Gabriel long to be held. The old couple holding hands and feeding the portly pigeons made him think about growing old with someone he loved. The kids coloring at the cafe across the street made him wonder about the day he would become a father. Gabriel realized this was all something he wanted.

He decided he would talk to Riley, try and convince her to give them a chance. Not the family and kids thing, not yet, but couldn't they just be honest about their feelings. Of course, their job complicated things. Gabriel sighed and mused that the chip in his brain could do many incredible things, but would it prevent him from following his heart.

Suddenly someone plopped down on the seat across from him, waking him up from his daydreams. At first a small part of him thought or at least hoped it was Riley. He looked up and was startled to see a woman he didn't know sitting across from him.

She was gorgeous and took Gabriel's breath away. Her sandy blond hair was a little longer then shoulder length. It was shaped slightly around her face and was wavy, maybe even slightly curly, and looked so soft. She looked about his age. She made a strange face and Gabriel realized he was staring at her (as he ran her face through facial recognition).

"Uh Hello" Gabriel said sheepishly whilst toying with the straw on his drink.

"I saw you sitting by yourself, looking rather lonesome, are you meeting your girlfriend here?" The woman smiled and she looked genuinely cheerful and friendly.

Gabriel shook his head and replied cheekily, "Nope I don't have a girlfriend, does your boyfriend mind you keeping a good looking guy like me company?" They laughed and stared at each other for maybe a bit too long.

"My name is Elly Merrick, by the way" she said at last, reaching out her hand for a handshake "and I don't have a boyfriend, so no one can tell me not to keep good looking men like you company."

"Nice to meet you Elly Merrick, I am Gabriel Vaughn" Gabriel said straightening up and flashing a smile as he went to shake her hand. He already knew her name and her job and was very pleased by her compliment so he asked the only question the chip couldn't answer. "And how does a beautiful lady like yourself not have a boyfriend."

She blushed and opened her mouth to speak, then stopped and decided to say "Thank you but I think it might be the fact that I am a single mom" She said that part nervously and seemed to be watching for his reaction.

Gabriel was just about to answer, he had already had seen this in her file. But Elly cut in, rambling,"I'm sorry.. that was awkward.. I shouldn't have dropped the mom bomb like that.. kind of kills the mood.. a turn off you know.. not that I was trying to turn you on.. what I am trying to say-"

"No, No that isn't a turn off for me" Gabriel laughed at her comments. "I love kids, I was married once. I always wanted kids but..but my wife didn't quite." He smiled at her, only a twinge of sadness in his face. Gabriel wondered if Riley wanted kids. Elly seemed the opposite of Riley and Amelia. She was forward, bubbly, and wearing bright colors.

Elly let out a breath, relieved.

They talked awhile and Elly revealed she was only a year older than gabriel and lived In the suburbs outside of the city. She was divorced also and had, wait for it, 6 kids. He pretended he almost didn't believe her (even though her hospital records confirmed it)but Elly explained she had three sets of twins. She had gotten pregnant when she was 19 so she married the guy. They divorced two years ago because he was never home, was addicted to his job, and slept with other woman. That wasn't in her file, Gabriel noted. Those were his favorite things to know about a person. The things you couldn't learn from a computer.

Gabriel talked about himself too and they joked around. Elly was easy to talk to and so funny and sweet. Gabriel enjoyed being with her and it kept his mind off of Riley. They exchanged numbers and when it was time to go Gabriel sad to have it end. But Elly had to go pick her kids up from school and preschool so he walked her to her car and opened the door.

"What a gentle man you are Mr. Vaughn" Elly chuckled and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek.

As she pulled out, he smiled cheekily and mouthed call me while holding up the imaginary phone to his ear with a wink. She drove away laughing.

Gabriel had had an amazing time.

Elly was a sweet normal person and an open book. He hadn't been looking at the internet in his head or even the street cams nearby, as he has a habit of doing. He was just present, with Elly, in the moment, enjoying every second of it.

Not even Riley could distract him that much. Even his headache was of Riley… Gabriel looked at the napkin with Elly's number on it.

After what happened last night he , he really had a chance with Riley. Elly was a great person and he didn't want to hurt her feelings by not calling but he didn't need this number. He barely knew her and it would be dishonest. He loved Riley.

He checked his phone, no missed calls or texts from his partner. He shoved the napkin in his back pocket and checked his watch. 2:30 p.m. Gabriel still had time before he needed to report to Cyber Com. He would go home then hit the gym on Thompson street and then would head to work. He decided to shower at the gym and go to work straight from there. He tried to tell himself it wasn't a significant descion but he knew he was really avoiding Riley taking him to work today.

A little freedom was a good thing he decided and he slightly resented being protected by a woman younger then him. Sure, she was capable but so was he. A little privacy would be nice at the very least. It was very demeaning.

* * *

Gabriel arrived at CyberCom at 3:45 and headed up the elevator. He chatted with a few people on his way to his desk. He checked in with Nelson, who gave him some tasks to do and mentioned Riley hadn't arrived yet.

Which Gabriel already knew, because he had already checked the security videos for her face and then located her driving down Delaware Avenue maybe a minute away on traffic cams.


	3. Chapter 3: Shut Down

Riley Neal had not had a good day.

She woke up this morning nude in her partner's bed with a nasty hangover. She had panicked and gotten out of there as fast as possible after the memories of the highly unprofessional things they did last night started to come back to her.

It was so embarrassing. She had agreed to keep him company yesterday so late only because it was his dead wife's birthday. Usually she would not have tempted herself like that by staying with him so late, while drinking, but she had wanted to be there for him. They had hung out a lot over three years of partnership but they had never gotten that drunk. While she regretted what they did, she had to admit a part of her enjoyed their um incident. She loved Gabriel as a friend, though, right? And nothing more? She wasn't so sure. She was having trouble controlling her emotions and convincing herself it was wrong when last night felt so right. She had been feeling... something for Gabriel for awhile.

But Riley knew she could not mix those emotions with her job. To keep him safe she had to think clearly and her mind fogged every time that warm body and husky voice got too close. She shook off the feelings of last night; they had to keep it professional. They were partners and friends but they needed to work well together and this was not part of the plan.

Riley needed to shut this down as soon as possible.

A part of her didn't want to. It wanted to press her lips to his and only come up when they needed air. That part of Riley could imagine waking up in his bed every day, having little Gabriels running around…

No, she had to give up on fantasies like that. They can't happen between partners. Especially with a partner like Gabriel, the billion dollar man.

Speaking of the billion dollars he is worth, she was pissed he had left his apartment without telling her. She was his protection and could lose her job if he got hurt out of her watch. She had showed up to pick him up at 3:30 and he wasn't at his apartment. He didn't even leave a note to say where he had gone. She had called him and he didn't pick up. She had felt guilt about running away this morning but she had needed to get some space. To calm herself down.

Riley momentarily worried that he'd been kidnapped but there was no struggle in the place and Gabriel was quite the fighter and wouldn't go that easily. She reckoned he more likely, being the stubborn ass he is, had run off to do his own thing, disregarding the rules that come with having a chip in your head.

If he wasn't at Cyber Com, then she would worry. But he wasn't getting this coffee she had made for him.

* * *

Gabriel saw her come out of the elevator with two cups of coffee and immediately felt guilty. He should have been at his apartment as usual, regardless of how wounded he felt from her ditching him this morning. She was always kind enough to bring him coffee there.

She walked past his desk, looked him straight in the eye with no emotion, said "Good Morning Gabriel", and then proceeded to dump one coffee in the trash.

His mouth opened slightly as if to speak, but just then Lillian walked in. They got down to business for the rest of the day. Gabriel kept trying to steal glances at her but she always ignored him. Whenever he asked her a question she would answer flatly. He tried to make her laugh but Riley was impassive. Their usual banter was completely absent. Everyone nervously noticed something was off between them but not even the straightforward Nelson asked about it.

Gabriel was still determined to talk to her about their relationship. He gathered his resolve and cornered her by the elevators around 6:40.

"What do you want Gabriel" Riley snapped. She bit her lip though and couldn't look him in the eye. The memories of last night lingered and she made sure there was plenty of space between them. She couldn't be distracted right now. She had to stop this train here and now before it crashed.

"I wanted to know…. I wanted you to know…We should….." Gabriel stumbled, trying to muster up the courage to tell her he loved her. He wish he had the balls to just kiss her, or ask her to dinner. She cleared her throat.

"Gabriel, last night..It was fun, but it can't happen again.." She faultered and seeing the protest in his eyes, rushed on. "This could never work, we are just friends….This is over, ok?..It never was a thing.." She almost took it all back when she saw his face.

"If that's what you want" Gabriel said holding back his anger. "But it isn't what you want, is it?, I love you Riley Neal and you feel something too, don't you?"

Riley held back tears and did what she thought was right, to protect him. That was her job and she did what she had to do.

She lied "No Gabriel we are partners, I protect you… I…would never want to be with you."

It tore her apart to say, but she didn't want to lose her job, or jeopardize Clockwork by distracting him. What if she got reassigned and had to leave him or they broke up and stopped working together well. This was best, she told herself.

He deserved someone better. Someone he could settle down with, come home too, and someone to be a good mother. He talked about wanting a family all the time. She could never do those things for him. Riley turned and left him standing there, one of the hardest things she'd ever done to her partner of three years.

Gabriel fell apart on the inside. Riley didn't really love him, this job was more important; everything he had felt had been fake. It was like Amelia all over again. He had finally gotten over Amelia with Riley's help but she was just a new one, to rip up his heart.

He walked to the bathroom in a trance. Splashed water on his face. He didn't need another woman like Amelia in his life. He wanted the opposite of Amelia.

A cheerful woman with twinkling eyes and sandy blond hair popped into his mind. She _was_ the opposite. A nurse not a secret agent, open not mysterious. Gabriel pulled out the napkin with her number.

He walked out the bathroom, right past Riley's desk, and barged into Lillians office.


	4. Chapter 4: Distraction

15 minutes later Gabriel walked out of Director Strand's office with new freedom.

He had approached Lillian and expressed his intention to begin dating again. Lillian was very pleased and had given him permission to date whomever he chose _without supervision_ as long as they were checked out by CyberCom first and either Lillian or Riley knew where he was at all times.

Lillian particularly liked this woman Gabriel had cleared first. Elly Merrick. Someone like her could be good for him she mused. 34 years old, nurse, who enjoyed cooking classes and volunteering her file said. It was about time Gabriel settled down.

Gabriel walked by Riley as he walked out, not allowing himself to look at her, already dialing Elly's number. She got up and grabbed her keys to follow him but he turned around with a polite smile, waved her off, and mouthed talk to Lillian.

He forced himself to leave with a bounce in his step as Elly's cheerful hello answered the phone. He didn't wait to see Riley's reaction. He was not going to be a heartbroken reject. Gabriel would show Agent Neal he was fine and hide how much she really hurt him.

* * *

Elly couldn't go out that night but agreed to go out for dinner on Thursday. So Gabriel hit up some bars and looked for something to distract him.

By the end of the night he had gotten six numbers and was playing darts with Emily, a police officer from Vancover. She had sick aim and crushed him. Then he was talking to an intern named Ann who had the prettiest red hair. It wasn't like he kissed anyone or got drunk, but Gabriel really was more open to meeting new people that night then he had been in years. It went so well he made plans with Emily to get drinks the next day, then left. It was the first night he hadn't hung out with Agent Neal in awhile and he almost got in the passenger seat to his car. The empty feeling that settled in his heart when he realized she wasn't there was awful. Gabriel spent the carried listening to cheerful music, swearing he would fill that empty space in his heart.

When he got home at 12:30 Gabriel was humming, blocking all thoughts about Riley, looking at funny tweets, texting the girls he just met, and best of all Facebook stalking Elly Merrick.

He texted Riley to let her knows he was home. He was singing along to Who Wrote The Book of Love by the Monotones from 1958 and saw on Facebook that an old buddy of his from Delta Force was in the city. Gabriel called him up and they decided to meet up on Saturday, with dates.

After texting one of his new friends from the bar, Lucy (the blond teacher from Seattle) and securing her as his date Gabriel felt like he was on a high. He hadn't had this much fun since before marrying Amelia. Of course he wasn't really having fun. He felt a little lost.

He tried to watch TV but his mind would always wander to the previous night. He refused to allow himself to cyber render that night. Whenever he paused to think about Riley his heart clenched in pain. But he distracted himself every time . This was the freedom he used to have, Gabriel reminded himself. Before he met Amelia. Throwback to when he had friends, and a social life. He would try to start that again he decided. He tried to convince himself he wasn't upset about Riley. It was getting late and he was out of things to do. After cleaning his kitchen counter for the fourth time, Gabriel decided to go to sleep.

He changed for bed and went to shut his blinds.

Were his eyes deceiving him or did he see someone on Riley's windowsill staring up at the sky? He looked closer and saw her sitting there looking very sad. Gabriel shook his head. She wanted nothing to do with him. He shut the blinds and turned off the lights before going to bed.


	5. Chapter 5: Complication

**Three months later on a Friday**

Gabriel walked into Cyber Com whistling. The lady at the front desk greeted him warmly. Agent Vaugnn seemed much happier and friendlier these days she noted.

Agent Vaughn stopped by Lillian's office and asked to leave at 2:30 that day. He had to pick up Felix and Jacob Merrick from school. They were in second grade and thought he was the bomb. He planned on taking them to the spy museum today. Him and Elly were pretty serious now and he enjoyed spending time with her family. She had two fourteen year olds, Ben and James, who didn't like Gabriel very much. Elly's youngest kids were four, Molly and Sam, and were pretty oblivious to why he spent so much time with them.

Gabriel found that Elly's ex-husband, John, wasn't hard to get along with either, he was just kind of immature, acting like he is still in his college fraternity. He had told them that he worked for the government and they didn't pry for details (that he couldn't disclose because Clockwork was so secret).

These days he kept his relationship with Riley strictly limited to professional work interaction. Their banter was toned down and they rarely spent time at each other's apartments anymore. When they did have drinks it was in groups at the bar or something. Gabriel stopped having drinks with other girls a few weeks after him and Elly started dating, even though he had a lot of new friends.

Even though things between him and Riley were awkward after his rejection at first, he felt like it was becoming more normal now, a new normal. Every day the sting of her rejection and the thrill of that one night they had together faded away. He felt like he was reaching a happy place. He had faked it till he made it, as they say and he was finally over Riley Neal. Or so he told himself.

His request to leave early was approved. He reached his desk and threw away his coffee cup. Where was his partner, he wondered? They no longer drove to work together because Gabriel sometimes was driving in from Elly's house but they usually arrived around the same time.

* * *

Riley Neal was panicked. She was laying on the ground in her apartment bathroom, her stomach twisted in knots and a sense of dread and a lot of sweat covering her.

She was pregnant. With Gabriel Vaughnn's child. She had found out last week after seeing the doctor about not feeling so great and wondering about her swollen abdomen. She was shocked and very scared.

Riley hadn't told anyone yet, not even Gabriel. Gabriel. These days that name broke her heart. He was happy and she was miserable. He loved this girl named Elly and now she was nothing to him. Riley still loved him, but he had moved on so fast. It was her own fault she reminded herself then burst out into tears again.

And now this. She had tried to put that night behind her for the good of everyone. Emotionally it was hard enough. Now it was going to be virtually impossible to move on from Gabriel. It was starting to show. How could she keep hiding this, would he be mad she hadn't told him? Riley Neal couldn't be a mother. She had never planned on having a family, her own experience with family wasn't very encouraging. She was probably going to lose her job. What if she said it wasn't Gabriels? No, she couldn't lie. Not to him. She hadn't slept with anyone else in awhile. Her lie haunted her every night and still felt like it was only yesterday she had shut Gabriel out.

Riley had relived what she remembered from the one night they had together every day in her mind. She may have been too drunk to remember what she was thinking but she remembered how it felt. Tears collected in her eyes again as Riley thought about the way her skin tingled when he lightly touched her, ever so gently but also in a fiercely passionate way.

She knew she was very late for work but at this point Riley didn't care. The secret service agent wouldn't mind if the tiles on the floor grew a mouth and swallowed her up.

Her baby bump was showing and she didn't feel well. Riley wasn't a crier but she stayed on the floor and cried herself to sleep, responsibilities at work be damned.

* * *

Gabriel was very worried by 12:20 a.m. He decided to go to her apartment. He hoped to be back before anyone noticed his absence. The traffic was light and he got there pretty fast. A panicked feeling had risen in his chest by the time he parked so he jumped hastily out of the car. His phone rang, and Elly's face showed up on his screen. He hesitated only for a moment. He hit ignore and ran up the stairs.

He realized he had no idea where the key he used to have was. He cringed when he remembered where it was. He had forced himself to put Riley's key in his junk drawer instead of its usual place in his back pocket, about a month ago.

After sprinting to his own apartment and recovering the key, Gabriel barged into Riley's apartment. The first thing he noticed was how disorganized it was. Dishes in the sink. Her uncovered trashcan had several empty tubs of ice cream. Movies littered the couch and blankets and magazines were everywhere. It never used to be like this he mused.

Where was his partner? His mind said that word awkwardly. The meaning was so different these days. _partner_.It used to mean something special to him. A word to describe a relationship that was more than a friendship. These days their relationship was barely a friendship.

He noticed the only inside light on was coming from the bathroom and he decided to approach the closed door. He knocked. No answer. He opened it slowly.

_Thump._

The door stopped on something. Gabriel peeked his head through and almost had a heart attack. Riley was on the ground in a tang top and shorts. She looked awful, covered in sweat and had a very redface. Had she been crying?

He squeezed into the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her up and draped her over his shoulder. She was out cold, not even waking when he accidently bumped her on the wall.

Gabriel took Riley to her bedroom. It was even messier then the rest of her apartment. He let her down on her bed slowly. That's when his hand grazed her stomach and he stepped back perplexed. Riley was a very thin woman. Why was….? The question died on his lips. Her stomach was more convex then he had remembered definitely. Like a dome.. Definitely sticking out a little. No, he thought as he inspected it, intrigued. She couldn't be.

Then jealousy distorted his face. Who had slept with his Riley? He corrected himself mentally, she wasn't his anymore, never had been. She didn't want him. Elly was his girlfriend. Gabriel checked his watch. He still had time before taking Jacob and Felix to the museum.

Wait. A realization dawned on him.

He had slept with Riley.

About four, maybe more months ago. Was that when a woman began to show? His mind started going a mile a minute. He googled it. When does a pregnant woman begin to show. Yahoo Answers told him about three months. Their night together had to have been longer ago then that, he thought. It couldn't be him.

Gabriel felt relieved then slightly disappointed. He scolded that emotion. Who did he care slept with Riley?

"Whu…gab…Gabreiel whutar you doing here" Riley's groggy voice disturbed his thoughts.

"Your pregnant" he cut right to the chase. Even though he wasn't the father he would support her through this, he planned.

At his words she woke up very fast."You know?" She tried to sit up too quickly, becoming nauseas at the motion. Her face blushed when she recovered. "Im sorry I didn't tell yo-"

"Its ok, Riley. I am here for you if you ever need anything". He put a hand on her shoulder and wore the most serious and sincere expression she had ever seen.

Riley tried to ease the tension (and the racing of her heart at his touch) by lightening the mood. "You better be. I mean you are 50% responsible." She laughed nervously and playfully punched his shoulder.

He was confused. "Wait. What? Am I…?"

His hand dropped off her shoulder and she suddenly felt awkward. "Um ya…you are the only guy Ive slept with in a while". She blushed again. Should she be embarrassed about that?

"But that was months ago, you seem very early on" Gabriel was still trying to grasp the situation.

"It was three months yesterday." Riley painfully corrected. "April 13th"

Gabriel's mind couldn't comprehend. It seemed like a lifetime ago. What day was today? July 14th….So much had changed. Had he really moved on that fast?

What would Elly think? The thought terrified him. His sweet Elly whom he loved more than life itself. Would she understand? Could he take care of Riley and see her at the same time? Could he still take the boys to the museum today? What if Elly broke up with him? Gabriel couldn't imagine life without her now. He didn't realize until now how much he relied on Elly and his other friends outside of work for relief from his stress and sadness over Riley and Amelia.

Riley only stared at her partner, watching him process everything. His face only showed a little bit of being overwhelmed.

"You ok Gabriel?" She finally asked. "I'm not asking you for anything, I was only kidding about the 50% thing earlier.."

"How long have you known" he spoke at last his eyes seemed glazed over in shock.

"About a week" She admitted. "I didn't know how to tell you."

Gabriel wasn't even angry. He just sat down next to her.

They sat like that for a few minutes. In silence.

"Are _you_ ok, Riley?" he didn't turn towards her but his voice dripped with genuine concern.

"I…I…-" For the second time that day, she broke down crying, putting her head in her hands. There was a shift of weight on the bed and two arms wrapped around her. Gabriel pulled her into his chest and he just held her.

As Riley sobbed and he mumbled comfort into her hair Gabriel couldn't help but love the feel of his partner in his arms. Her smell, her warm skin, she was so fragile when she let down her walls. The bulge in her stomach was against his abs and he was conflicted. Did he love Elly or Riley? He couldn't have both. Did he have to choose Riley now that she was carrying his child? Not that that was a bad thing but leaving Elly and her family would be. Did Riley even want him? She had said she would never be with him apparently just three months ago. Oh, what would he do? He should be focusing on the problem at hand, Gabriel scolded himself.

He distracted himself by using the chip to research everything from pregnancy to parenthood. Parent life hacks, cures for morning sickness, the cost of collage, best baby food, when could you know the gender, schools nearby, all the medical disasters that could go wrong for Riley and the baby.

Suddenly his phone went off again. He panicked for a second thinking it was Elly and Riley lifted her tear stained face. But it was Lillian's name that flashed across the screen. Gabriel sighed, part relief, part dread.

"We should tell her" Riley croaked.

Gabriel nodded and moved to get his phone. Riley sat up, sniffling. She felt like a cry baby idiot but it had felt good to be in Gabriel's arms again. But she felt like she was obligating him to care for her. The guilt threatened to leave her bawling again but she held it together.

"Lillian" was Gabriel's curt greeting. He stood next to Riley and began rubbing her back with one hand, as much to comfort her as to support himself.

"I found her at her apartment…Yes….No…..She was ill…There is something we need to tell you…. No! well yes sort of….No we wont be able to come in today…..Riley is pregnant with my child….No..well I don't know…There was one night…..We were drunk…..Yes…I don't know yet…About three months….Sorry…Ok…..Ok….I Know…ok….I will…Thank you…Will do…See you tomorrow."

Riley could guess by his expressions each question Lillian asked. As her puffy red eyes looked up at him Gabriel felt as if he couldn't bear to let her down. She seemed so vulnerable, he had done this to her, maybe ruined her career, he couldn't hurt her anymore, Gabriel Vaughn would not make any more mistakes. He would do everything right regarding this baby daddy thing.

"She mad?" Riley asked as her voice cracked.

"No, are you?" Gabriel replied tentatively.

"What, Why would I be mad. Are you mad?" Riley was confused.

"No, no, no of course not." Gabriel sunk back down next to her and took his partner's face in his hands.

"We are in this together, now. I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted. It certainly isn't what we planned. But we are partners, Riley, and I am here for you because I am as equally responsible."

Her eyes shined in gratitude and relief. But just then Gabriel's phone rang again.

It was Elly this time and Riley's heart dropped back to the floor. The girl he really loved was calling.

Gabriel looked unsure for a second then stood abruptly and answered his phone.

"Hey El, Ive got something big to talk to you about….Its up for you to decide…..No I haven't forgotten ,been thinking about it all day…Oh, crap is it that late already…no way….could you…..sorry…..Thats perfect….I can talk to you then…..haha…..maybe…Do you guys have plans for dinner…Oh, that's ok…..alright… see you soon".

Gabriel finished his quick conversation with his girlfriend and looked down to see Riley looking like a kicked puppy. He felt guilty talking to Elly in front of her, for some reason. He wondered if he should feel guilty about being in another woman's bedroom while on the phone with his girlfriend. He was too late to pick the boys up from school now and Elly was having to get them and meet Gabriel at the museum. It would be a good chance to tell her about this.

He wanted her to meet Riley if she didn't dump his ass on the spot. But Elly couldn't do dinner today so maybe another time.

Oh crap, he had to go now or he would be late to the museum. But he couldn't leave Riley alone. She shouldn't be there when he told Elly. Riley was not looking ready to go out anyway.

"I have got to go tell Elly" he apologized. "I am taking the boys to the National Spy Museum today. I would cancel….but I can't now. It's too late. They are on their way."

She didn't speak.

"Will you be ok for a few hours?" he felt terrible. "It will never happen again, I promise."

Riley put on her fake smile and assured him they could talk later and she wanted to sleep anyway. A few minutes later he was out the door and she was in tears over her awful situation again. Not the pregnancy part, that she could handle, maybe even rejoice over, in any other situation.

But her situation with Gabriel. Before this, it was complicated and sad for her. They were barely friends anymore and he was with someone else. Now she was obligating him to love her, basically, and probably making his relationship very difficult. Gabriel wouldn't abandon her, she knew, but having someone be with you who doesn't want to be is worse. Hurting him and having him was worse than losing him.


	6. Chapter 6: Relization

Gabriel was still in shell shock. Riley was pregnant, with his child. The choirs of his thoughts pulled his mind in different directions. Thoughts about Elly, about Riley, the future, the past. His felt like he was buzzing, confused, too much to process, too much he had to do right now.

He parked the car in the parking garage. Gabriel had to sit with his hands still on the keys for a moment. To collect himself.

The ex-solider moved his hand to fix his hair and caught a glimpse of his face in the sideview mirror. Was he crying. He took a breath and relized tears had been falling from his blue eyes and onto his gentle stuble. He was going to be a father. Riley…he still loved her…what about Elly. He gasped out one sob then dried his face on his t-shirt.

He gulped and tried to get it together.

It broke his heart to see Riley so upset. Seeing her so broken hurt almost as badly as her rejection of him.

Her place was a mess and she was a mess. He was just pondering that now. What had happened to her? Was Riley just as upset as him. Gabriel frowned and his faced twisted in perplexity as he tried to recall his partner's behavior as of late.

When he focused on his memories of Agent Neal recently Gabriel's stomach dropped like a rock. He had to remind himself to breath.

She had been so unhappy. Why was he so insensitive? Gabirel now saw every time he talked about Elly in front of Riley, everytime he avoided hanging out with Riley, everytime he acted indifferent toward her attempts to talk about what happened. He had interpreted the sensitive look on her face as pity.

Gabriel cursed himself, his stupidity, this usless chip, and all the gods that be.

She might have regreted what she had said. He saw that now. She might have still wanted him… He had screwed it all up. Not her, all this time he had blamed it on Riley, comparing her to Amiela.

Now he felt like a jerk. He had been so focuased on distracting himself, and healing from her words. "I would never want to be with you" had haunted him for these few months. He had put as much distance between himself and that day as possible. He had lied to himself about his feelings for her.

But, Gabriel paused. If she wanted to have something between them, why did she shut him down.

Well why did he flirt with another girl the day after they slept together? Defense mechanism he reasoned. Maybe it was her initial reaction to a proximity she wasn't used to. Maybe she was afraid. Maybe it was their jobs that stopped her. Maybe it was the age difference. He decided to ask her.

Gabriel thought about rushing back right now and professing his love and apologies to Riley.

But he owed Elly more than that. He had used her to protect himself from his feelings and now he had to be true and honest. He loved Riley Neal and Elly may be the sweetest girlfriend ever, but this wasn't fair to her.

He reached inside his glove department and took out the napkin with Elly's number on it. The crumpled Ernie's one. From the very first day they met.

Gabriel got out of the car. He had really screwed up. Would either woman forgive him? He hoped his future was not as bleak as the cement gray garage walls.

The walk around the block and into the meusam was the longest 300 yards of his life.

Coming through the black doors he looked around. It was a small muesam, certinally no Smithsonian. A tour group leaving obstructed his view for a moment.

When they passed he saw Elly staring straight at him, arms crossed, and a slightly irritated look about her face (But not real irritation, she was hard to upset). Her sons were on their phones at one of the tables. When Gabriel approached, Elly cracked a smile, but it soon evaporated when she saw his face, replacing it with a look of worry and concern.

"Is everything all right"

"Ya, El, I… We gotta talk"

She was concerned now. She touched his arm and he guided her over to a chair. They made some cautious small talk as they sat down at a café table.

Gabriel fessed up and rambled for a solid eight or nine minutes, about Riley, about the baby, about his mistakes, how sorry he was.

She nodded the entire time with a hard to read expression. It unnerved him to see her not talk for so long.

"Im so sorry, El, You look so done right now, but im trying to apologize. I loved her but I told myself and you a different story. Don't say its ok, because its not. Ill grab my stuff and get gone as soon as possible" he finished, his eyes red and his voice hoarse.

"Its ok, Gabirel." She reached out and touched his hand with her gentle fingers.

She continued "I had a great time with you, but we got serious pretty fast. You were rushing it to the point that I had a feeling you were running from something. I talked to you that day in Ernie's because you looked so lost. You were looking at kids and couples out the window like you were on the outside looking in, if you know what I mean. You will be a great father, Gabe."

She paused then went on, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but this will not break my heart, I have been through much much worse relationships. I have great memories from this one and I am happy with my family. Take as long as you want to get your stuff back, you are always welcome at my house"

"Lets not loose touch, Gabe. I know you will be busy but I need those dimples in my life." She gave his hand a squeeze.

He didn't know what to say. She understood his speechlessness.

"Don't be sorry Gabe, I want you to be happy."

He wiped the threat of tears from the corner of his eye and hugged her.

He had to apologize to the boys for skipping out on the museuam trip and then left Elly to explain things to them.

He walked out the doors and started striding briskly towards the parking garage. Thinking about Riley, waiting for him, and everything he had to say to her, everything he had to ask her, he started sprinting down the street.

He flew into his car and speeded all the way home. Traffic rules? Nah, he could delete the tickets with the chip.

He screeched into his normal parking spot and nearly fell over himself to get up the stairs.

When Gabriel threw open the door to her apartment (no one had apparently locked it) he heard no one. All the lights were off. He felt panic rising in his chest. He flipped on the kitchen light. The apartment was in the same disorganization as before. He leaped to her bedroom door and tore it wide open. His heart ripped in half.

Her room was the same mess. Exept two crushing details were different then when he had left. Riley wasn't there. And her drawers and closet were left open, and emptied.

All her clothes were gone. After closer inspection Gabriel found a note on her pillow.

_Hey Gabriel, I hope things went well with Elly. _

_I left to take some vacation time for a bit. _

_Please don't look for me, I am so sorry about everything. _

He ripped the note into ten pieces, gritting his teeth. He could practically feel his love for her get angry and sad and a million other reactions. The frusteration got to his head first. He hurled the lamp against the wall and then smashed and yelled at every breakable iteam on her nightstand.

Gripping the edge of her bed, and his heart thudding against his chest, Gabriel's wrath broke down. He wept and clenched the covers in his fist.

He had to find her. That was his mission now.


	7. Chapter 7: Walking Away

A/N: Just realized I forgot a disclaimer so here it is. I don't own this show or it's characters at the moment.

Thank you to anyone who is reading or reviewing my story :). I really appreciate feedback and will incorporate any suggestions, requests, or criticisms so Keep reviewing!

Sorry about the issue yesterday. hope I fixed it.

* * *

Sitting in her apartment, Riley had felt plain lost. There was a need inside of her that burned to be with Gabriel. But her head was saying that her fantasy of life with him could never come true.

She was a terrible cook. She couldnt sew or clean or or.. Anything really. She would be a terrible mother. She took bullets for people, she didn't make sandwiches or fold laundry.

Riley looked around her place. It was a pit. A mess. Just like her, she thought. Riley was wallowing in self-pity but when you start feeling bad for yourself it's hard to stop.

Riley imagined Gabriel talking to Elly.

She could just see them talking about her with pity. Gabriel planning to support her, be there for her, as a charity. Elly being little Mrs Perfect

saying poor Riley, let's help Riley, your so noble and generous Gabriel.

No, no, no..She shook her head. Riley Neal was NOT a weak woman, not one to be pitied. She had never needed anyone else to take care of her and she wasn't about to start now.

She stood up and wiped the final tears from her eyes. Riley was done acting like this. Ever since her and Gabriel spent that night together she had been an idiot.

From being scared and rejecting him, sulking in misery after seeing him with Elly, to being a big crying baby about this pregnancy Riley had not been acting like herself.

She looked around her apartment. It was too disorganized to even let her think clearly. Riley needed a change of scenery, she needed distance from everything so she could figure this out.

She cleared her head and started packing. She had a lot to do to get ready for this baby. Riley Neal was good at protecting people, it was her job. That couldn't be so different from being a mother, she reasoned. Hell, sometimes she felt like she was Gabriel's mother, the way she took care of him. Well the way she used to, anyway.

Speaking of Gabriel... He could come after her if he wanted. She wasn't going to force him to be a father or her partner or whatever.

Riley left him a note and walked out the door with her bag. She got in the car and called Lillian Strand.

Lillian gave her some advice and agreed Agent Neal should take some time off.

Soon Riley was on the highway. The idea that she was free to go anywhere in the country blew her mind. She had felt so tethered and weighed down lately.

Where did she want to go? Her mouth twisted into a small side smile. She had always wanted to go to New Orleans. The Cajun food, the river it was definitely different from the cities she was used to. Besides there was someone down there who she wanted to see.

Riley pulled out her hairtie, let her hair down, and opened the window. As the wind blew in her face she felt almost happy. Happier than an hour ago when Gabriel left her alone. Happier than two weeks ago when she had been crying, eating take out and ice cream to ease her guilt and sadness over letting Gabriel go. Happier than she had been when she had rejected him with that lie.

But leaving the city, Riley was not as happy as she had been on that night, three months ago when she was with him.

The realization that she would never really be happy without him hit her like a load a bricks. Did she dare hope he would come after her? No no, Riley reprimanded herself. He had Elly and her family. She was nothing to him,she was nothing to him. Riley repeated it in a whisper until she couldn't say it anymore, else she would cry.

Get over it, she told herself. As soon as she could get over Gabriel Vaugnn and moved on with her own life she would be happy.

Maybe she should transfer out of Cyber Com, Riley speculated. If she wanted to get over Gabriel she couldn't spend all day with him.

Seven hours later Agent Neal checked into a hotel in Georgia and emailed Lillian Strand her resignation.


	8. Chapter 8: The Email

A/N: so sorry for the delay I was sick this past week, thank you again to anybody who is reading or reviewing my story. I really appreciate it. And sorry for the glitches on this chapter yesterday, I hope this fixes it.

* * *

Lillian had not been having a good day. The monthly Clockwork Interagency Cooperation Update had just concluded and she was browsing her computer at the end of the day with a scowl. The director of the C.I.A. had brought some nosy analysts to the meeting and now Lillian was paranoid they were trying to make her look bad with all their fancy numbers and critiques.

At least the C.I.A.'s director came himself. Clockwork was old news to those who knew about it. Most agencies sent uninterested representatives to these update meetings. The NSA's representative hit on her and the FBI's fell asleep and then left early.

To top things off, she had received a very alarming call from Gabriel right before the meeting. It had been about to start and everyone watched her talk through the glass office walls. Lillian had managed to remain composed and expression impassive and then went through the day long meeting in shell shock. The feeling of intimate doom grew everytime an agent looked her in the eye. She felt like they could see the scandal on her forehead. But now that the meeting was over, the shock of his call was just truly setting in now.

Lillian rubbed her temples. Good Lord, Riley pregnant. Director Strand went pale.

On the personal side, this was a huge obstacle for both Riley and Gabriel. They did not get along very well latley and had never even together, how could they raise a child together?

The director had noticed Riley was not a family kind of person, probably a result of her past, and defiantly not ready for a baby. Gabriel was perhaps too ready, Lillian speculated. He was actually in a place to be a dad. Agent Vaugn had shown that he was looking for a family and this was what he wanted.

That would be perfect with any woman. But Riley wasn't just any woman. She was so not ready and he was so ready it is possible they can't work together.

Now on the career side of the matter, Lillian shuddered when she thought of the impact this would have. This was major scandal for her agency. The Clockwork subject got his body guard pregnant, dear god help us, Director Strand thought.

Riley's career would suffer. Damn, Lillian was probably going to have to fire her.

Gabriel would have to find a new partner and change his lifestyle and the amount of time he spends at work drastically if he is going to be a full time dad.

Lillian had been thinking about this so deeply she realized she had been staring at an email on her computer without reading it for several minutes.

She read the email from Agent Neal.


End file.
